August in December
by Elsa007
Summary: Once Upon A Time AU-to complicated for 384 characters! Lots of ships (Both cannon and not). My first try at an Alternate Universe. I hope you enjoy! It will include my OTP (Captain Swan) but it will have some candy for Gremma, Strange Swan, Swanfire, Queen Hood, Snowing and other popular OUAT ships fans. Rated T. It's K for now but just in case it changes later on. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So this is kind of complicated but I am going to try to explain the parameters of the alternate universe before I start to avoid boring chapters that explain what is going on. I am also NOT going to repeat every conversation in the first season! That would be boring and not very creative. Some of the more important ones and the ideas that are different will be included in this story but I will be skipping over the scenes that stay the same. I will try to let you know at the bottom of each chapter what has been skipped over for the most part. **

Parameters of this Alternate Universe:  
>Many things remain the same in Storybrooke but a few things are different. Immediately after the curse was cast, Cora sent Hook to Storybrooke with his memories intact but a spell cast on him that only she could lift. The spell kept him from harming Rumplestiltskin. August didn't leave baby Emma and they stayed together, him telling her these tales about where they were from. On Emma's 14th birthday August was adopted and forced out of Emma's life. They never saw each other again but she continued to look for the boy who had helped her keep hope and made her feel special. August never found Neal but he found out that Emma was from the Enchanted Forest all on his own and left in order to hide from his father. Emma went to prison for breaking into an apartment she thought was Neal's but wasn't.<p>

Chapter 1: Emma's POV

_I wish I wasn't alone. _I thought to myself as I blew out the candle on my cupcake. The flame had no sooner gone out when there was a knock on the door. I glanced towards it suspiciously. Well that was weird. I walked to the door and looked out. And down. It was a little kid. Defiantly not one of the neighbor kids, but this little boy I'd never seen before. "Uhhh," I stuttered awkwardly. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Emma Swan?" He asked, his little voice so cheerful and light. I remembered being that innocent. Twenty years ago. How did this kid know who I was?

"Yeah, who are you?" I asked, my brow furrowed.

"My name's Henry," He started, this adorable little smile peeking on his face. "I'm your son." My WHAT?

Several hours later I found myself driving down a highway towards Maine. The kid was chatting my ear off, trying to get me to stop for snacks, telling me stories about his school and his favorite teacher, Ms. Blanchard. He had thick book with him that he kept checking, as if he was sure the words were about to change. "What's that?" I asked, reading the thick binding. Fairy tales. I smiled a bit to myself. August. Every night before I went to bed he'd tell me this story about how I was a princess in a far off land and I'd been cursed into this non-magical world but that someday I was going to find my parents, the King and Queen and make them remember me and they'd take me back to our castle and we'd live happily ever after. After a while I had realized that he was just trying to make me feel better about having been abandoned on the side of the freeway, giving me hope that one day I would have an amazing life, but especially as a kid, hope is the most powerful thing.

"I'm not sure you're ready." Henry said, looking up at me with those big eyes.

"I'm not ready for some fairy tales?" I asked him. Please. Ever since August and I had been split up I had become obsessed with fairy tales. He had gotten me a book about Snow White for my 14th birthday but just after he'd given it to me our foster parents came in to tell him that he was being adopted. I had thrown myself into fairy tales, trying to convince myself that if I found the King and Queen my parents, they'd help me find August and everything would be fine. I didn't care if they never took me back to the castle or I never saw real magic, I just wanted my parents and August.

"There not fairy tales," the kid began. "There true. Every story in this book actually happened." This boy was acting more and more like my kid every minute. But then he went on, telling me each and every detail. Okay that was creepy. It was the exact same story August had told me every night as a kid. Exactly. Did Henry know August? I subconsciously began to drive a bit faster. If I could ever imagine a town name that fit August perfectly, it was Storybrooke.

"Henry," I cut in cautiously. "Do you know someone named August Booth?" I glanced at his face, hoping for a bit of recognition. Not a bit.

"Nope." He said, continuing on explaining who was who in Storybrooke Maine. It was probably a coincidence. But something ticked at the back of my mind. He called me the Savior. It wasn't some random fairy tale curse he came up with, Snow White and Prince Charming were my parents in both his story and August's. Obviously there wasn't a _curse_, but something weird was going on, and I was going to stick around this town and find out what.

Somewhere on the coast of Maine a clock that had been still for 28 years began to tick.


	2. Chapter 2

**Killian Jones**

I walked down Main Street looking at the façade around me. Every day for 28 years I had been forced to endure this monotony. When Cora finally arrived I would kill her. Once she removed her personal curse of course. How could she expect me to do this? Every day I saw him, had to speak to him, and yet it was impossible for me to harm him. That did not simply prevent me from killing him, but if I was about to do something that would cause him harm in the future, it was undone. If I wanted to insult the crocodile, I would find myself saying something completely different than I had set out to. The other day I accidentally knocked a glass off the counter at Granny's and suddenly found myself a few seconds back in time, the glass back in my hand, while everyone around me experienced a little déjà vu. It was torturous.

Even if the crocodile hadn't been here it would have been unbearable. These people did the same thing. Every. Single. Day. The closest thing I had to a best friend here was the same. Graham worked as sheriff every day, even Sundays and then he would go eat at Granny's and get the same thing. Every day. And then he would go home and get all set for bed before leaving his house and meeting the mayor for their badly concealed affair. I was thanking God the lad hadn't found out yet. I was fond of young Henry, if only because he didn't seem as obsessed with repetitiousness as the rest of them. Some days after school I would meet him at his little castle on the beach and take him out for a quick sail around the coast of Storybrooke on my little boat. When I got to this town I was devastated to find that Cora did not have the courtesy to send the Jolly Roger with me and was even further despondent to find that I couldn't leave Storybrooke to find a suitable vessel. I found an old sloop and fixed it up to get in my addiction to the sea.

I worried about the boy. He needed a good role model in his life and when this blasted curse was broken he needed someone to depend on other than the Evil Queen. Whatever Cora thought would happen the heroes in this town were not just going to let Cora and Regina take over and even if the villains did succeed Henry had a pure heart and would not be happy with them. He reminded me so much of another little boy I taught to sail. I wondered whatever happened to Baelfire.

**Rumpelstiltskin**

Sure I hated him, but it was so much more amusing to taunt him and watch his inability to do a damn thing. He so obviously remembered and I didn't know how but he somehow missed out on the memory part of the curse and got a different curse. He was physically unable to harm me. To be honest I was getting sick of our duel. I would trade every bit of revenge I had taken on him and Milah and everyone else in this town just to have my Belle back. If giving him his hand and bringing Milah back from the dead brought her back I would do it in a heartbeat. If it meant I had to give out favors for free for the rest of forever, if it meant giving up my magic, if it meant giving up my dark abilities, I didn't care. I missed her every day of this consistent hell. I had a chance to get Bae back and I would wait every one of these days for that chance however slim it was but I had no chance to get Belle. No magic could reawaken the dead. I wanted this horror to be over. I wanted my son. And I wanted my love. But I was a villain, and villains didn't get happy endings.

**Regina Mills**

That little tart was staying. She was going to try to steal Henry from me. And what was it with Graham? He had stared at her the entire time, his eyes following her around like a love sick puppy. Well the joke was on him. I had his heart, he could never love her. And I would make sure Henry never loved her if it was the last thing I did.

**August Booth**

Yesterday was her 28th birthday. I had less than 365 days to find her and get her to Storybrooke. I had been searching for my little sister since my 18th birthday when I left home. I had driven across this country more times than some people went to the dentist in their lives. And yet I could never find her. I had finally managed to track her down to a foster home in Dundee, Oregon but by the time I got there the foster mom said she had skipped out on her 16th birthday the month before and they had no idea where she went. The trail went cold after that but I tracked down every hospital, hotel, and jail record this side of the Canadian border and nothing. Not a damn thing, until ten years ago, when Emma Swan had ended up in jail for breaking and entering. She wasn't allowed any visitors but I still hounded the jail every day she was there, trying to get in and see my friend. It wasn't until after she was released that I found out she had given birth while in prison and had given the child up for adoption. That broke my heart more than anything else. She knew what the system was like. If she had truly given this child up for adoption that meant a life with her would have been even more miserable. What had I done? I needed to find her and get her to Storybrooke, Maine and then we would go find her son.

**Emma Swan**

I was staying at the most quaint and nauseatingly cutesy bed and breakfast I had ever come across in my life. By the time I had finished speaking with _Madam Mayor_ I was more convinced than ever that something was going on. There was a possessive note to the way she treated Henry and the way she nearly forced me out of the house? It made me want to stay more than anything. I had found this place, Granny's it was called, with the help of the sheriff, Graham. I was going to stay to figure everything out, but mostly I was staying for Henry. I liked him. He reminded me of, well, me. And his father, but in a good way. Oddly enough he also reminded me of August. Maybe it was just the story but it was good to have a piece of my big brother back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Killian Jones**

"Killian!" Henry's voice chirped loudly, accompanying a loud pounding on the door. Groaning, I rolled out of bed. I had been out all night looking for Henry. It had been my night off but as soon as Graham told me Henry was missing I had rushed around town and into the woods looking. Finally a little after 11 Graham had texted me saying he had shown up and was fine. I was tempted to walk back downtown to find out where the little devil had been but I was exhausted. It was only 11 and I was a bit embarrassed but I had barely slept the night before and had been working all day. I had returned to my little flat and stripped off my tee shirt, plopping down on my bed and falling asleep. I woke up still in my jeans, my hair sticking up at all ends and my light shining in through the window. I stumbled to the door and opened it to find Henry. "Hey Killian! Ready for breakfast?" He picked up the tee shirt I had dropped on the floor a few days earlier and grabbing my hand dragged me out the door and down the street towards Granny's.

"Hey, lad, what are you doing?" I protested. People on the streets were staring and much as I wanted to believe it was because of my partial nudity I had a feeling that Henry had done something to make these small town, mindless, fools talk. We finally entered Granny's and Ruby looked up grinning at me. Now _that_ was because of my lack of shirt. "Hello lass," I said winking at her. She blushed and turned back to her job, sashaying those long legs down the row between tables.

"Killian Jones, you know my rules!" Granny called out, pretending to be angry. "No shirt, no shoes no service!" I winked at her.

"Apologies good woman," I began with a smirk. "But that lad has stolen my shirt." Henry handed it back and ran off to our favorite booth. I followed him pulling the shirt over my head. When I got to my seat I stopped, staring. There was a beautiful blonde bombshell sitting in my spot. "Well hello," I began softly, giving her my trademark grin. "I don't believe I know you." She rolled her eyes, not having any of it. To my dismay she didn't so much as blush.

"Killian, this is my mom, Emma Swan." Henry said. "Emma this is my best friend, Killian Jones." Emma Swan. Emma. The Savior. Oh God redemption was at hand. All my waiting had been for this woman, and to be honest? Damn. I could have waited a little longer I had known what she looked like.

"Swan," I nodded. "Pleasure I'm sure."

"Mhmm, Henry we should get you to school." Swan said, eyeing me up suspiciously.

"Okay!" he popped out of the booth and pulled his backpack over his shoulders. "Bye Killian! We still on for after school?" I grinned and ruffled his hair.

"Of course, lad. Maybe I'll let you steer by yourself today." He beamed at me.

"Really?" I nodded.

"Just don't tell Regina." I winked at him and he skipped off. "Well Love, it was lovely to meet you. Will you be staying in town long?" she looked at me, sizing me up. I knew that look. That was one of my looks. She was evaluating me, seeing if she could trust me. Apparently she could because she answered honestly.

"For a while. There's something weird going on here and I need to make sure the kid's okay." I chortled to myself as she walked away. Little did she know just how weird this town really was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Emma Swan**

Killian Jones perplexed me. I didn't understand why someone who got on so well with the entire town, was obviously very concerned with his image and could be hanging out with anyone at all choose to spend every spare second with a ten year old. He ate breakfast with Henry almost every morning, and as soon as Henry got out of school he took him sailing around the harbor. This of course made Regina crazy which made the whole idea seem so much better to me. He was in a constant state of flirtation with someone and yet, despite the fact that so many of them returned the favor, he continually sought me out. Perhaps it was simply curiosity. He hadn't known me forever like everyone in this town seemed to know each other, and I was Henry's mother, but something told me it was more than that. Well I wasn't about to let a fast talker with a pretty smile (and a rather incredible body) break into my heart and destroy what was left of it after Neal had has his way with it. I had my walls up and guns pointed, he wasn't getting past that.

I had been right, there was something weird about this town. Henry had told me to ask specific questions, about when people met someone else, when a big event had happened, or the like. So far, no one remembered much of anything before Henry's arrival. Every single person knew exactly what day Henry had shown up and everything about his life since then yet not one person could tell me when Regina had been elected other than to say, _'oh, she's always been mayor'. _Something strange was going on, but I didn't know what. I was on my way to meet Henry at the dinner for breakfast. A cat ran into a trash can behind me and I turned to look at the noise, startled as I rounded the corner. Wham! I ran straight into someone, falling to the ground. Well, almost to the ground. A pair of strong arms caught me before I could hit the pavement, Hollywood RomCom style. I stared up at a pair of blue-green eyes.

"Miss Swan. It's a pleasure running into you." Sheriff Graham said, smiled warmly down at me, still holding me tightly in his arms.

"Um, yeah-I'm so sorry I wasn't watching where I was going." I stuttered.

"Believe me, it is not a problem." He returned, his lips were turned up in the slightest hint of a smile. Neither of us said a word for what felt like hours. We just stared into each other's eyes. Until someone cleared their throat loudly.

"I hope I'm not interrupting whatever _clearly_ important thing you two are doing, but your son and I are waiting ever so patiently for you, Swan." Killian Jones broke us out of whatever odd daydream we had been partaking in moments earlier and Graham set me back on my feet. I smiled awkwardly at him before following an oddly irate man inside. I walked over to our regular booth and found both Henry and Mary-Margaret waiting for me cheerfully. I slid in next to my son forcing Killian to sit beside my roomie. If anyone could throw cold water on Killian Jones' advances it was my sweet, soft spoken yet very proper and opinionated friend. I had to admit I was slightly put out when Killian didn't as much as smile in Mary-Margaret's way.

"I found Prince Charming," Henry announced loudly.

"Oh, really?" I asked, wondering who was about to be roped into my son's fantasy.

"He's in a coma, in the hospital. I saw him when we visited with school yesterday." He proceeded to ask Mary-Margaret to read to him, explaining how John Doe would wake up and break the curse. After he made his requests he hoped up and headed towards his school bus.

"Emma, what do you want me to do?" Mary Margaret asked desperately.

"Do it." Killian and I said simultaneously. She looked at us, startled as if that was not what she was expecting.

"Look, you do this and nothing happens, he won't wake up. We can discourage this fantasy without breaking his heart."

"I suppose," She sounded doubtful.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Killian added. "He could wake up and then you would have helped a coma patient. How is that bad?" She was convinced. We would meet tomorrow morning with Henry to tell him what had happened. She got up to go to school and I was left with Killian.

"Well, I'm going to get going. I need to find a job." I said after an awkward pause. I got up to leave the booth but Killian grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. He had stood up as well and we were standing mere inches apart. Those sea blue eyes stared straight into my soul. "What is it?" I asked after the silence grew unbearable.

"I was just going to say, Graham wants to hire an extra deputy."

"A deputy sheriff? I'm not sure I'm cut out for something like that." I said nervously.

"Weren't you a bounty hunter?" he asked.

"Well yes, but-"

"Besides, think of how much it will upset Regina." He smirked with that cocky smile and my heart fluttered a bit. This was ridiculous. I was not about to lose my head and my heart for some small town player who for some reason had befriended my son.

"I'll talk to Graham later." I conceded. He grinned a genuine smile this time and I had no choice but to return it. What was this town doing to me? First Graham with his romantic gestures and now Killian with his blue eyes and beautiful smile-my walls were coming down and I wasn't about to let that happen. Yet later that day I found myself walking into the lion's den and taking a job with the two men who were unlocking feelings inside of me that I hadn't allowed myself to feel since Neal. What was I thinking?


	5. Chapter 5

**Sheriff Graham**

Thank God for Killian Jones. He'd suggested she work right her with us. I would get to see the fascinating Swan girl every single day. She was going to be here in a few minutes and I was more excited for work than I had ever been before.

"Well, well, well." Killian's voice cut in from behind me. "Looks like someone is dressed up nicely today." I scoffed at that. Sure I _had_ spent a little extra time picking out my outfit and trimming my beard and sure I ran a comb through my hair and put on a little cologne, but Killian looked different today, too. He had styled his hair and was wearing a pale grey vest over his plaid button down and he had traded his sneakers for a pair of suave leather shoes I had never seen him wear before. That bothered me a bit. He had girlfriends in the past but he never really dressed up for them. He must be really into Emma. But so was I. This was about to get interesting.

"I always look nice for work," I returned, grinning at my friend. "You on the other hand, never look this pulled together. Ever. Got a hot date tonight?" I prayed he did and that this had nothing to do with Emma.

"Nah, just woke up early, had some extra time. I figured I'd make a bit of an effort. See what it's like being you." He was lying. It was there in his eyes. We'd been friends for as long as I could remember and I knew his tells. He liked her. Really liked her. Well so did I. I guess it would be a fight to see what she thought about us Irish crazies.

Just then Emma Swan walked in the door and smiled at us. "Hi!" she said cheerfully at me.

"Hey!" Killian and I simultaneously responded just as enthusiastically. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite clear that she was speaking solely to me. There was an awkward pause until I motioned towards the empty desk next to Killian's.

"So, here is your desk, and I'm just going to run and grab the papers you'll need and I can run you through your job description."

"Don't be ridiculous," Killian interjected looking at me. "I can easily do that, as the lead Sheriff you have other more important things to do. I can get Swan here up to date with everything."

"Oh no, it's not at all a problem. And what could be more important than making sure that our newest deputy has all the information and answers to any questions she may have?" I stared down Killian just as intently as he looked into my eyes. "I would be happy to do it."

"Graham, it's really not a problem. If you have work to do you should do that," Emma said, oblivious to the real argument we were having.

"To be quite honest Emma, Storybrooke is a pretty mellow town. It would be a relief to have a bit of change to the repetitiveness of the paperwork I have. I would love to brief you on the job. If you'll follow me into my office?" I responded before Killian could get a word in edgewise. Emma followed me into my office and after holding the door open for her I closed it behind us, looking Killian in the eyes. And he was just as mad as I was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Killian Jones**

Seriously? She just followed his chivalrous ass through the door without a glance my way? That polite ass knew what he was doing to me, too. I could see it in his eyes as he closed the door behind them. My lip involuntarily twitched upwards in a sneer. I needed a drink. Thank God Swan and I would be going to Granny's after work to meet with Henry and Mary Margaret. Alcohol, Emma and Henry. Three of my favorite things.

Henry knew. And I was so torn between happiness at not being alone, happiness that the boy was smart enough to realize what was going on, and terror that Rumpelstiltskin or the Evil Queen would harm him to protect their secret. Now we just needed to convince the savior. I was hoping Mary Margaret had some success with the whole True Loves Kiss thing but as no one was rushing around town, full memories intact, I wasn't sure how great it had gone. Work went surprisingly slowly. Graham and Emma talked almost all day. The job description and training did not take that long. I had done it in a couple hours and then Graham and I had knocked back a few shots before going home for the day. Lunch time came and I interrupted to ask where we should go for lunch but Graham insisted that I just order in pizza and then the two of them ate together in his office while I sat on my desk throwing balled up sticky notes into the trash can. This was ridiculous. I couldn't take it any longer. I walked up to Graham's office and knocked on the door loudly. Emma looked at me unsuspecting while Graham burned holes in my jacket with his eyes.

"Hey, I was thinking I could take Swan to the shooting range to practice since it's on the way to Granny's and we're both heading there in an hour anyway. Then you could get an early night, Graham. It's been a while since you had some time off." I suggested as innocently as my pirate face could manage. Graham fumbled around for an excuse to go to the shooting range himself but Emma, being the kind person she was kindly insisted he take the night off saying that she was indeed meeting Henry at Granny's in an hour just as I had said. She picked up that red leather jacket from her chair and followed me to a concrete building a bit off the main road. When we got inside I took her coat and hung it up, fetching her the ridiculous protective glasses this world without magic insisted we all use and a gun.

"Acting like a gentleman, I see." Emma said with a slight smile gracing her lips.

"I'm always a gentleman." I assured her, flashing a smile her way. Emma got ready and took aim. I snorted. She turned to look at me, giving me a superior glare, completely worthy of the princess she was.

"What?" I tried not to laugh as I stepped up behind her.

"It's your stance, love. Here, let me help." I put my good hand over her own fingers on the gun and used my prosthetic to position her back. Put your feet shoulder width apart and square off to the target. She responded to my movements silently and I was suddenly aware of how close we were. Her back was brushing against my chest and her sweet smelling hair swept across my cheek. I nudged my own legs ever so slightly forward so that our entire lower bodies were touching electrically. My fake hand pressed her back lightly to give her the right posture and my other arm wrapped around her arm, guiding her hands. She shifted uncomfortably against me and I could feel her heavy breathing against my own chest.

"Calm down love, breath into it." I wrapped my other arm around her until she was entirely wrapped up in my embrace. "Keep both your eyes open love." I could feel her shifting against me but rather than stepping away and making her comfortable I leaned in and tucked my head next to hers, breathing my instructions in her ear. "Take a deep breath, exhale." My breath flicked the wisps of hair next to her ear around in the air. "Now shoot." A loud bang and a slight recoil sent Emma Swan firmly back in my arms. We looked at the poster and saw that she had gotten a clean shot, right through the heart. "Look at that Swan, you can shoot." My arms hadn't left hers and I noticed that she was looking down at my left hand awkwardly. I'd gone this far without her noticing, it wasn't likely that I was going to have gotten much further. I unwrapped myself from Swan and stepped back, pressing the button to bring her poster towards her. "Yes, it's prosthetic, love. Lost my hand in a car accident years ago." Swan looked away, trying to pretend that she hadn't been looking.

"Oh. I'm so sorry-" She began to protest.

"Come on, Swan, it's time we were getting on to Granny's. Mary Margaret was going to read to John Doe after school let out and meet us after. She's had plenty of time to get to Granny's by now." Emma nodded embarrassed and we returned the equipment before walking down the block to Granny's in silence. Damn me for screwing this up. But this hand of mine was a sore spot and I didn't want her pitying me. I just wanted her to break the curse so I could take my vengeance. That's what this little obsession was anyway. Of course I was thinking about Swan every second of the day, I was hoping she would break the curse, nothing more. And of course it bothered me that Graham was flirting with her, she needed to focus on what was important. Operation Cobra, as Henry put it. Save Storybrooke. Skin the crocodile. Avenge Milah. Falling in love with the Swan girl ranked nowhere on that list and I needed to remember that.


	7. Chapter 7

**August Booth**

Where the hell was she? What should I do now? Geppetto was counting on me, I couldn't let my dad down. It killed me that I had let my baby sister down but what was I supposed to have done? These people wanted to adopt me and they weren't taking no for an answer. Sure they were great people. Really nice and generous, and even smart. But every time I begged to see Emma, every time I asked if they could take her as well, they put their foot down. They had enough resources for one additional child, they couldn't take another. I just wanted to see her, make sure she was okay! I had begged. They came home one day with news from Mrs. Katy Warren that Emma was doing wonderfully and was really starting to fit in with some of the other girls. There were two families who wanted to adopt her and Mrs. Warren was speaking to her about where she wanted to end up. I may not have Emma's superpower as she liked to call it, but I knew they were lying. Mrs. Warren and Emma hated each other. And the other girls at our orphanage? Emma hated them. I mean _hated _them. They constantly made fun of her and there was no way they were friends. No families had ever been interested in adopting Emma due to her stubborn nature. Once you got to know her, it was endearing and it made me proud of her strength, but families looking to adopt were looking for adorable, meek girls, not strong willed girls who would fight them on everything and got into brawls with the other kids.

I had searched far and wide for Emma and then for her nameless son. Not a damn thing. This was it. This was the year. And if I didn't do something fast I was going to ruin the prophesy and let my entire people live in ignorance and torturous monotony. Come on, Emma. Where the hell did you go?


	8. Chapter 8

**Mary Margaret**

What the hell was going on? I wasn't one for profanity or over exaggeration or getting flustered under pressure or shock, but this? WHAT THE HELL HAD JUST HAPPENED? I was practically running towards Granny's now, desperate for some sort of explanation even if it was Henry telling me that there was a curse. Because magic was the only answer I could think of for the craziness that had just occurred. When I got to the dinner Henry was already inside, sitting next to Emma, Killian across from them. Emma and Killian were blatantly avoiding each other's eye contact and seemed intently focused on what Henry was telling them about his school day. I slid into the seat next to Killian.

"So?" Henry asked excitedly. "What happened Ms. Blanchard?" I looked up at Emma, silently apologizing for the words that were about to come out of my mouth. I knew this wasn't what she wanted to hear, or rather what she wanted Henry to hear, but I wasn't about to lie to him. She was giving me that knowing smile, ready to catch Henry when he heard the disappointing news she thought I was about to deliver.

"He woke up." I said after a moment of pause. The smile vanished from her lips and reappeared in tenfold on Henry's face.

"What?" She breathed, in complete shock.

"I knew it!" Henry exclaimed. I glanced at Killian and saw a slight smile on his lips.

"I mean, he didn't wake up, wake up," I explained hurriedly, "but, he grabbed my hand." I looked around the table for any explanation.

"He's remembering!" Henry insisted.

"What did the doctor say?" Emma asked, shock still permeating every bit of her face.

"That I imagined it," I sighed, still thinking of the sad look of pity on Whale's face. "But I'm not crazy!" I swore. "I know what happened."

"We have to go back, you have to read to him again!" Henry was in full Operation Cobra mode, and if you took out the knowledge that the kid was talking about magic and fairy tales, his insistence was quite convincing. And in my state, I didn't need much convincing. I nodded my head, decidedly and stood up suddenly.

"Let's go." Henry bounded out of the booth after me, Killian sharply on our heels but Emma was less movable.

"Wait, wait, what?" She asked, confused, drifting out of the booth as if trying to stop us rather than follow us.

"If I got through to him, if we made a connection," I begged, willing my words to make as much sense in the air as they did in my head.

"You don't believe," Emma began.

"That he's Prince Charming? Of course not!" I pleaded with her. I had no other explanation but my friend was not about to be convince with a, hey, your son's crazy theory? I believe it-crazy things are happening! "But somehow, someway, I touched him!" I didn't know how but I had, there was a connection I was sure of it. I turned and followed Henry, Killian on my heels as Emma stared after us for a few moments. A minute later the door to Granny's swung open and Emma chased after us. I turned to Killian who had yet to say a word. "Do you think I'm crazy?" I wasn't sure why I cared so much if he did. Everyone loved Killian and I thought he was great too, but I hadn't ever gotten to know him very well. Why should I care what he thought of me? I guess going crazy made you cling to the idea that someone else thought that maybe you were sane.

"Not at all, love." He responded, his long legs easily keeping up with the slow jog Henry and I were using. "I think that perhaps, John Doe heard your simply beautiful voice and thought, there. That is a beautiful, kind person and she might make being awake worth it." This statement was accompanied by his signature teasing grin but I noticed that the heart had gone out of his incessant flirting. I noticed that he glanced back at Emma to see if she was indeed following us. I bit my lip, hiding a grin. The town philanderer had finally met his match in my quick witted city friend, and I was going to enjoy watching this.


	9. Chapter 9

**Killian Jones**

Well this was certainly a strange turn of events. Prince Charming remembered his true love's voice. And there hadn't even been the power of a kiss to awaken him. If she kissed him would he rise up and break the curse? I laughed internally. Who knew that villainous Captain Hook would be waiting around for True Love's Kiss? And yet here he was, walking through the hospital doors to see Prince Charming about his memory. We walked into the clinic and headed towards the room John Doe had been in earlier this afternoon when Mary Margaret had been reading to him.

There was no one there.

**Mary Margaret**

He was gone. I ran to Whale and pulled him away from the little old lady he was speaking to. "Excuse me this is an emergency." I assured her. "Dr. Whale, where is the man who was in a coma?"  
>"Where you left him." He responded confusion clouding his face. "In his room."<p>

"Um, I don't mean to alarm you, but no. No he's not." Whale looked at me, his eyes widening and he ran off towards John Doe's room.

"What the hell?" His voice trailed off and Emma and I stared at each other in shock. John Doe, Prince Charming, whoever the hell he was, was awake.

**Henry Mills**

I totally called it. Snow White had woken up Prince Charming. She hadn't even kissed him. This was brilliant. The final battle had _indeed_ begun. This was so cool.

**Emma Swan**

What the hell? I had been hoping this would put Operation Cobra to rest but not only did he wake up, he disappeared. Henry's resolve would be strengthened SO much. This was not good. Where the hell was John Doe?

**David/Charming**

I opened my eyes. She had just been here. I had just heard her voice. I had just grabbed her hand. My Snow White. She had been here in this weird little room. Where was I? Apparently this was the land without magic the Evil Queen had decided to send us too, but what were these weird metal contraptions with all the flashing lights? And there were these strange clear ropes that poked into my arms, what were they doing? I ripped the cords out and stumbled to my feet. My legs nearly gave way beneath me. Of course, I didn't know how long I'd been in this odd little room but if the reason I was up now was because the final battle had begun, that meant I had been lying on this table for 28 years. No wonder my legs felt like jelly-I had no muscle tone left! 28 years. It felt as though my baby girl had just been in my arms moments ago. I had just put her into an enchanted tree, and now, she was nearly my age. Well, how old I looked. And I guess how old my body was thanks to this ridiculous curse. I pushed at the glass door (really? Why would anyone want a glass door? The ability to see through them, completely defeated the purpose of even having walls and doors.) And stumbled into the waiting room. There were other people that I didn't recognize and I supposed I could have asked one of them but if I didn't know them, what were the chances that my wife did? I needed to find Snow, find my daughter, and help them fight off Regina. And I knew just the place to start. The Troll Bridge. That was where the story had left off while Snow was reading it, and I was sure she would be there and I could find her. I had heard that little boy talking about it once when he came in.

It was strange, really. It all felt like a dream but that little boy's voice, I had heard it. He spoke of the curse and of Snow and of me and I knew that he knew. I knew he was real. I couldn't yet figure out why I could hear him and not any of the others who had stood in or near my odd little glass room but I could always hear him. And he said Troll Bridge. That meant it was here. And I would find it. My legs stumbled beneath me and I felt at the odd robe that had been wrapped around me. It felt as thin as paper and I would have been embarrassed about it if I wasn't so focused on finding my Snow. It was dark by the time I found the Troll Bridge. The sign had said Toll Bridge but someone had drawn the 'R' on it. She had to be here. She would come. She would find me. She would always find me.


	10. Chapter 10

**Killian Jones**

There he was. Lying face down in the water. Dear God, no. If he died what would happen with this whole curse thing? I was sure he would be necessary for the success of my mission. Snow White ran to the Prince's side and began pressing down on his chest and breathing into his mouth. After a few moments water spewed out of the Prince's lips and he looked up into Snow's eyes, so much hope and happiness in his own expression.

"You saved me." He breathes at her.

"Sir, do you know who you are?" Graham asks, looking down at him. The Prince looks around at the faces staring at him and shakes his head slowly.

"No." He was lying. I knew he was lying and I could tell from the look on Emma's face that she knew, too but she didn't question it and I didn't push her. Between Graham and me, we got him into the cruiser. Emma took Henry home but Snow White stayed with us as we returned him to the hospital. I could see the desperation in her eyes. Unbelievable. Even in this amnesiac state and she still loved him. Even if she didn't know why, she loved him. I wanted that again. That all-encompassing, breathtaking, more important than anything else in the world kind of love. That love where you couldn't think about anything but her, where you wanted to tell her everything about your day the second you saw her but wanted to know everything that had happened to her first. I wanted that kind of love that made your body shake and your mind get numb just from thinking about her. I may have been a blood thirsty pirate, but I had tasted such a love. And Now I wasn't sure how much longer I could live without it. My revenge had kept me going thus far, but once that was carried out, once the crocodile was dead, I would need love, or there would be no point to my existence.


	11. Chapter 11

**Emma Swan**

I was in a daze as I watched Henry sneak back into his room. What was happening in this town? The fact that Henry's fairy tale theory was the only thing that connected all the pieces was making me very nervous. Who was John Doe? He was lying when he said he didn't remember who he was. Somehow being an amnesia patient was better than who he really was, which meant he was probably a criminal. And whatever Mary Margaret said about connecting with him, I needed to keep my friend safe. More importantly, I needed to keep my family safe. Whatever Henry thought about how this man was Prince Charming, a hero, I needed to keep him far, far away from John Doe.

**David/Charming**

I was so tired. My body ached everywhere. My muscles, my joints, everywhere. I felt as though I had, well, I felts as though I had been lying down for 28 years. They hadn't broken the curse yet. Snow had no idea who I was. And the huntsman, he had been there too, along with three others I had no names for. A beautiful blonde, an odd, dark looking man and a small boy. I didn't know who the boy was or why on earth he would be out with any sort of guarding force in the middle of the night, but after the few words he exchanged with the blonde I recognized his voice. It was the voice I had been hearing through the clouded dream world, it was the voice that had led me to this odd little troll bridge. That boy knew. I couldn't let on that I remembered. They would have carted me off to an asylum of sorts, called me insane, it was better to pretend I had forgotten. Better to wait, speak with the boy alone, find my daughter and damn it! It was time to break this curse.

**Henry Mills**

Ha. Ha, ha, ha. Whatever Emma said, this proved it. Operation Cobra was operational and in motion. Prince Charming was up and about, memory or not True Love's Kiss would bring it back and the memories of this entire town. Ha, ha, _mom. _Ha. Ha.


	12. Chapter 12

**David/Charming**

Snow looked at me cheerfully. I loved that smile. She was different here, but she was still my Snow. We played this odd little card game and I grinned at her, chanting over and over in my head, reminding myself to call her Mary Margaret. I was slowly soaking in the full effects of this curse. I had married _Abigail._ As in, _Abigail. _She was so annoying in this world. She kept interrupting Snow and I and insisting that I remember all these stupid things like this dog, or a random windmill in our yard. I mean seriously? Where was Frederick? I still hadn't had the time to speak to the boy, Henry, but he had mentioned an Emma. Sure it was unlikely, with everyone else's names mixed up but there was a chance he knew where my daughter was. And I would give everything to find my baby girl.

**Killian Jones**

I twisted my prosthetic hand absentmindedly. They were sitting at the table next to us laughing about something. Graham was staring too. Neither of us had spoken for a good five minutes, we just sat there staring at Emma and Mary Margaret. They were giggling in hushed tones and I couldn't decipher what was being said, all I knew was that Emma's beautiful blonde hair was cascading down her shoulders and her green eyes were flashing with the mischief of a girl who wanted an adventurer. Not some soft, pretty boy with a cute accent who brought her flowers every day and held her hand while she crossed the street. She needed someone who would walk over to that table, pull her hand and shove her up against the wall. She needed someone who would wrap his arms around her and make her feel safe, whatever she had gone through in the past. She needed someone who would make her feel so-Good Lord Killian! I admonished myself. Where had that come from? I was after the Savior not the girl.

**Sheriff Graham**

God, she was beautiful. Emma and Mary Margaret were giggling away about something and I couldn't help but stare. And stare.

"You know, you both look a little creepy staring like that," A voice said softly a few feet away from me. I jumped and I saw Killian mirror my reaction out of the corner of my eye. There he was, David, walking up and about, out of the hospital.

"You're up mate!" Killian said a little too loudly. "They let you out of the nut house."

"Indeed," David nodded with a smile and a quick glance at the duo of beauties, now staring at us. "I know you wanted to speak with me when I was feeling better and I had some time, so." He trailed off looking at us both, waiting for one of us to tell him what to do.

"Right!" I finally said, realizing that I was in charge and everyone was staring at me. "Of course, why don't we head down to the station, it'll just be a few quick questions and you can be on your way." Emma stood up and picked up the red leather jacket on the chair behind her.

"I'll come with." She volunteered.

"Emma, it's your morning off, you don't have to." I said, wishing desperately that she would ignore me and come spend the day with me.

"Emma?" David Nolan turned around with wide eyes and looked directly at the beautiful blonde. We all stopped and stared at him.

"Okay, there's no way you remember me, I just got here." She told David, narrowing her eyes.

"No, no of course not." He brushed off his excitement at hearing her name and his odd behavior. "No, I just always loved the name Emma." He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes and while keeping his focus on Mary Margaret. "If I had a daughter I think I would name her Emma." There was an exceptionally awkward pause until Killian stood up and broke the silence.

"Okay, so I guess we're all going to interrogate a victim now?" he nodded seriously, mocking the situation. "Sounds good, let's get going." I led Emma, David and Killian down the street in uncomfortable silence.

**Killian Jones**

He knew. I knew that he knew. I even knew why he was hiding the fact that he knew. If he realized that no one else knew anything about the curse, than he wouldn't want to say something about magic, these people would lock him back up in the hospital. I needed to talk to him alone, before Emma and Graham got their hands on him. I had to let him know that I knew and that we were going to break the curse. I had to give the poor man hope so he wouldn't crack under pressure and say something odd to his daughter that would make her uncomfortable, oh gods. Emma was his daughter. I mean, I knew that logistically. I knew that Prince Charming and Snow white's daughter was Emma, but I hadn't thought about it on a personal level. Emma. Of course he reacted when he heard his daughter's name. No wonder he was silently staring at Emma and Graham. In his mind, he had just put his baby daughter in a magic portal and now, in what must seem like a matter of hours, he was seeing her all grown up, his age, in fact. How emotional that must be for him. And I was about to speak to Emma's father, _as_ Emma's father. What if he didn't approve of me? What if he thought his daughter deserved better than a one handed pirate with a drinking problem?

Killian, get a grip. Why should he care if you are friends, _and only friends dammit Killian,_ with his daughter. It is NOT like you are courting her. You are simply trying to break a curse to avenge Milah.


	13. Chapter 13

**David/Charming**

My daughter and the huntsman were speaking in private, in the huntsman's office before our interview. I was sitting with Killian Jones. Who was he? I wondered to myself as the door behind my daughter and my friend closed. Just then Killian turned towards me and spoke quickly and in hushed tones

"Listen, we have maybe five minutes before they're prepped for your interview. Let's make this quick. You know don't you, you remember?" I looked at him suspiciously.

"Remember what?" I asked cryptically, wanting to be sure he was speaking about what I thought he was speaking about.

"No offence meant, Your Majesty, but we don't have time for this nonsense. You know that the girl in there is your daughter and you know that Mary Margaret is Snow White and that you are married and you know that the Mayor is the Evil Queen and the Mr. Gold is the crocodile or Rumplestiltskin rather and that not a single one of them knows a damn thing because of their stupid curse." I sighed in relief. I wasn't alone.

"Yes, I know. Who are you? How do you remember? Does anyone else know? I think the boy, Henry was it? I think he might know."

"I was sent here by Cora, Regina's mother after the curse began, to keep an eye on Regina. Don't worry, I don't hold any love for either woman in my heart. I'm just here for revenge on Rumpelstiltskin." He held up his hand and it took me a minute but I realized it was fake. "He took my hand the same day he killed my love. I can't touch him until this damned curse is broken so I intend to do everything in my power to help your daughter to break it. Henry does know but I am fairly certain he is the only one."  
>"Who is Henry? How does he know?" I asked quickly, eyeing the door and my daughter, my Emma through it.<p>

"He figured it out. The kid is a genius. Snow White is his teacher and she gave him a book on fairy tales and he completely figured it out. Regina has the kid in therapy and she and Emma are working on making him less dependent on his "fantasy". Emma of course because she doesn't think it's real but Regina because she doesn't want him to help Emma break the curse."

"Emma? Why would she care about what the boy thinks?" I asked, my brow furrowed. Killian Jones had a look on his face. That look of, I really don't want to be the one to tell you this.

"Look, mate, I'm really not sure I should be the one to tell you this but since you need to know here goes." Sure enough. I was right. "Henry is Emma's son. Regina adopted him when he was an infant and a week or two ago he hitchhiked to Boston, the city Emma was living in and told her he wanted her in his life. That's why she's here, mate. That is why she's staying in Storybrooke, it's for Henry." My heart dropped into my stomach.

"I'm a grandfather?" I whispered. He nodded.

"Look. Whatever happens, don't let them know what you know. They will lock you up, think you're crazy. Just tell them you don't remember a thing. Amnesia. That's a real thing. They won't lock you up in the nut house for that." I didn't have time to ask what a nut house was per say as my daughter and the huntsman stepped out of the office, ready to question me. I was a grandfather. My daughter was my age, and I was a grandfather. Regina what the hell did you do?


	14. Chapter 14

**Emma Swan**

He lied his way through the entire interview. But none of my tricks worked! He wasn't caught in any lies because all he had to say was-I don't remember-and Graham would believe him because he had conveniently been in a coma for God knows how long. There were no lies to catch him in, no words to trip him up on and he kept staring at me awkwardly. It had thrown me off my game. When a guy normally stared at me, I could handle myself. But when he stared at me, I could tell that it wasn't in an 'I'm imagining you naked' way, but in a completely different and non-sexual way and it was really creeping me out. He was lying but what was he hiding?

**Killian Jones**

He had done brilliantly. But she didn't buy it. Graham completely accepted it as this damn curse was prone to make you accept things, but Emma knew he was lying. She was so smart. I don't know how she did that but I would have to be careful around that one. If I wasn't careful she would capture me in that super powered web of hers.

**David/Charming**

Who was Killian Jones? The relief I felt when I found out I wasn't alone began to dissipate the moment I noticed the way he looked at my daughter. He didn't take his eyes off her. I don't care what he said about breaking the curse, he liked her. He like Emma. My daughter. And not in the curious, this woman is going to help me get vengeance for my true love's death, but more in the, this woman is my track for forgetting about my true love kind of way. And I was _not_ having that. I didn't know who he was, but there was no way he was laying a single one of his five fingers on my baby girl.

**Sheriff Graham **

He had lost his memory. So why was Emma looking at him so suspiciously? And what was up with the look he was giving Emma? And when was Killian going to stop staring at her and start doing his job? Something was going on and I was going to find out. After David Nolan left on his way back to his wife's house and Emma back to Mary Margaret's I made my way to Regina's house. I needed to clear my head and this was usually the place that I did that. I pounded on her door and within a minute she had opened it and her arms to me. I kissed her as passionately as I knew how, I did everything that had worked in the past. Nothing. I felt no emotions. I was happier and felt such stronger emotions simply talking to Emma Swan and here I was screwing Regina and I felt nothing. Something was wrong. And Emma was the key to fixing it.

**Emma Swan**

As the sky darkened I made my way back to the apartment I shared with Mary Margaret. Passing by Granny's I noticed Killian exiting with Ruby. She was laughing hysterically at something he had just said and he was holding the door for her pleasantly. We made eye contact as Ruby caught up with me, walking beside me.

"Allow me to walk you ladies home." Killian offered, smiling without a hint of flirtation in his voice, but rather something else, was it chivalry? I was about to decline but Ruby took him up on it immediately. We were headed the same way and the three of us walked listening to Ruby chat away gaily about her day. And there it was. That crack in the sidewalk that I tripped on every day on my walk to Granny's. Yet somehow I had forgotten about it. But once again, before I could hit the pavement, a pair of strong hands caught me, setting me back on my feet. This time, I wasn't looking into Graham's eyes but Killian's.

"Are you alright, Emma?"

"How did you do that?" Ruby looked extremely impressed. "My mind barely registered that Emma was tripping. You started to reach for her before she even fell! That was so ninja!"

"Emma trips on that crack every day. I saw it and realized just before it happened." He said softly. He noticed me tripping every day and remembered now? Did he really think about me that much? Surprisingly he didn't flirt with me the entire walk home. There were no innuendos, no eyebrow raises and no attempts to wrap his arm around me suggestively. Who was this man and what had he done to Killian Jones?

After I got home I set the alarm and went straight to bed. It would be an early start tomorrow and to be honest, after dissecting every word of David Nolan's I was exhausted. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to think about a pair of sea blue eyes.

Before I could drift off, my phone buzzed on my night side table. Glancing at the screen my brow furrowed in confusion. Regina had just texted me? She hated me-if this wasn't a death threat I would be shocked.

Hey mom-it's Henry. I'm outside your door! Will you come let me in?

I sighed. Jumping out of bed I nearly ran to the door. It opened to display a grinning, brown haired boy with a small backpack.

"Hi mom!"

"Kid, what are you doing here? You're mom's going to kill me! And then you. And then me again." I grimly thought aloud.

"She won't notice, she's got company." He said with a scowl.

"What are you talking about? Come on kid, we've got to get you home. We can do breakfast tomorrow, how about that?" I hated taking him home, mostly because I knew he hated it but when I did make him leave I always promised an event in the near future to pacify him.

"Fine." He said with a sigh and the saddest lost puppy look on his face that would make a less stubborn woman cave in a heartbeat. As it was, I was still close to caving, but the thought of Regina's wrath outweighed the ten year olds pity face. The yellow bug sped us down the street to the mayor's house and when we pulled up I was shocked to see Graham's police cruiser in the drive. Good Lord, she'd noticed Henry was missing again and called the police. This kid was going to put me through more jail time than his father.

"Come on kid, you've got to stop doing this. Your mom called the cops on me again!"

"No she didn't he was already here." Henry mumbled angrily.

"What? Why would Graham be here?"

"I told you," Henry continued to mumble. "She had company." Good Lord, did he mean what I think he meant? Was Regina sleeping with someone _while Henry was in the house?_ No wonder he ran off. Well she wasn't getting away with this. I walked up to the door but before Henry could use his key to unlock the door I put my hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Let me handle this one, kid. She's not getting away with this." I pounded on the door. A minute passed and still no answer. I continued to pound until I finally heard footsteps in her entryway. Regina's head poked out of the door.

"Miss Swan was this really necessary? Henry is sleeping! You will wake my son." After her emphasis on 'my', I decided I wasn't holding back.

"Actually Madame Mayor, you and your guest already woke my son up and he came running over to my place." Henry peeked at his mom from behind my back. "And I would really appreciate it if you kept your night time activities secret from this _ten year old_ boy." Graham appeared from behind the stairs shirtless. He looked at me in horror.

"Emma," he breathed. I saw a twitch begin on Regina's face. She opened her mouth to speak but I didn't let her get a syllable in edgewise.

"Now, I will leave Henry here tonight but rest assured if he comes by my place again because of something like this not only will I allow him to stay but I may let him sleep at my place every night. Graham, my son is going to bed and we have to work in the morning, perhaps you should go to." I handed Henry his backpack and gave him a quick hug as Graham awkwardly put on his shirt. As soon as Henry disappeared back upstairs I turned and walked out to my car.

"Emma, Emma wait!" Graham called out.

"I have to get home Graham. Can we talk in the morning?"

"Emma, I'm sorry."

"You should be, Henry _heard_ you two. Next time just tell me in advance and I can take him for the night."

"No, Emma, that's not what I meant,"

"I will see you in the morning Graham." I got into my bug and drove away, leaving Graham standing in the road behind me. He had always been the nice guy to Killian Jones' rebel. The sweet caring boyfriend material to Killian's dark, sexy one night stand. But tonight, I was beginning to wonder if I had them mixed up after all.


	15. Chapter 15

**Emma Swan**

I walked out of the bathroom at Granny's and ran into him. Graham. He was throwing darts rather impressively but he was also drunk and had that look in his eyes. He wanted to talk. I so did NOT want to talk. Not to him. Not about that.

"Emma!" Ruby piped up. "What can I get for you?" I shook my head, my eyes not leaving Graham's.

"Nothing." I side stepped Graham and made my way out the door. I met Killian's eyes on the way out and he was giving me a look of complete confusion. I was staring at Killian when it happened. A dart hit the wood panel next to my head. I spun around as Killian leapt out of the booth staring daggers at Graham. "What the hell? You could have hit me!"

"I never miss." Graham said, walking slowly towards me. "Have you been avoiding me since you saw me,"

"Leaving the mayor?" I suggested crossing my arms. "And yes that is a euphemism. I'm not avoiding you I just have no interest in having this conversation with you. It's none of my business and I really don't care." I left the dinner and began walking down the street. Graham chased after me and called my name. There was desperation in his eyes and a few weeks ago I would have been completely ecstatic to have Graham chasing after me but today I had been disenchanted with Graham as a whole. And I couldn't help but wonder what Killian thought was going on. He better realize that Graham had nothing on him and make a move already. And Graham had better let him.

**Killian Jones **

What the hell was that? A euphemism, she said. So Emma had caught Graham and Regina together. She seemed frustrated. Did she feel jealous? Did she want him? Would she fight for Graham? Not that I cared. I was after the Savior not the Princess. Watching the way her father watched me when we were together I knew that I didn't have a shot in hell, even if I had wanted one. Which I didn't. Obviously. But I did want her to break the curse and Graham was an obvious distraction. I needed to protect her from the kind of heartbreak that would make her pack up and run for the hills, leaving this town and myself cursed. I practically threw money at Ruby and stormed out of Granny's, following the path Emma and Graham had taken. I came up to them down the street but before I could call out, Graham had reached forward and taken Emma's face in his hands before pulling her face to his and locking lips.

The anger that I had suppressed these past months bubbled up exploded. He just kissed her. He was seeing Regina and he had no business pulling Emma into this nonsense. She had enough to deal with from Regina without this. Not to mention the sight of anyone's lips on hers was excruciatingly painful for me to watch. She pushed him away and my heart soared for half a second. Graham was panting and staring at the pavement.

"Did you see that?" he asked. Okay that is not what I thought was about to happen.

"See what?" Emma spat out. "Graham that was way out of line!" she admonished them.

"The wolf. There was a wolf." He insisted. But Graham had been friends with a wolf, in the other world. Henry thought he was the huntsman and he had owned a wolf. Good Lord, he was remembering. True Love's Kiss. Shit. I looked around. But if that were really true love's kiss the town would be running about with their memories. What was happening? I needed to find my co-conspirators. I needed to call together Operation Cobra.

**David/Charming**

If this one handed idiot thought that he could just wake me up in the middle of the night and not tell me what was going on yet still think I would just follow him to wherever the hell we were going then he had another thing coming. And yet here I was, following him down the street after he simply said 'Emma'. We ended up at Regina's house and I felt a great uneasiness settle in my stomach. The Evil Queen. She may not have magic here but that didn't make her any less conniving or ambitious.

"Killian! What are we doing?"

"I think Graham might know."

"The Huntsman? God I hope so. He is an old friend." I interjected. "How did he remember? Can we use it on the rest of the town?" Killian snorted and shook his head.

"I doubt it and even if we could we're finding another way." He insisted.

"What?" I questioned him. "Why?" He spun on his heel halfway up Regina's front path and stared into my eyes.

"Believe me, once Graham explains fully you will understand why not." It came out almost in a snarl. I didn't question him but I wondered for the hundredth time that week, who was Killian Jones?

**Henry Mills**

Killian and my grandpa were helping me sneak out of my room. This was awesome. If mom found out she was going to freak. Ha. We walked to Graham's apartment and Killian knocked on the door until it swung open. I had my book under my arm, as Killian had told me to bring it for Operation Cobra's first advance since David had woken up.

"Killian, what are you all doing here?" Killian brushed past him and we all filled into his room.

"Hey Graham!" I said cheerfully. "I hear you're remembering things." I grinned and wagged my eyes at him. He looked shocked.

"Yes! Yes, how did you know? Am I going crazy?"

"You're not going crazy and I know exactly who you are." I reassured him.

"But how did you know, it only happened half an hour ago."

"Because I saw you, you prat." Killian said angrily.

"What's a prat?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Something you shouldn't call someone." David said putting a hand on my shoulder.

"You saw that?" Graham asked nervously.

"Yes. I did. And to be honest?" Killian stopped speaking and punched Graham in the face. "Don't distract her from breaking the curse man! I need her to break the curse so I can skin myself a crocodile." Graham look as confused as David and I were.

"What the hell, mate?"

"Just talk to the kid, get this all sorted out, _mate_." Killian hissed. I pulled Graham away and we sat on the couch.

"So what have you been seeing?" I asked, feeling more and more like Archie with every passing word.

"I saw a wolf. A wolf with a red eye. And Mary Margaret. I had a knife, and I was going to kill her. But then I didn't. I told her to run. So I killed a deer and took its heart. I returned to Regina but she had found out what I had done and took my heart. I've been dreaming about a wolf. It's been taking me to the cemetery. To Regina's vault. My heart is in there, that's why I don't feel anything, it's because Regina has my heart locked up."

"You don't feel anything? Really? That's not what it looked like to me earlier." Killian hissed. Graham started to get up looking at Killian angrily but I didn't have much time before my mom noticed I was gone so I pulled him back down.

"When did these flashbacks start?" I asked.

"When I kissed Emma." He said, matter-of-factly. My brow furrowed.

"You kissed my mom?" I said, completely grossed out. At the same time Killian's fist curled into balls and David spoke with the same tone I had.

"You kissed Emma?"

"Oh come on, you can't tell me that you _and_ Killian like her. We can't all go after her and since I made the first move I think I am well within my rights to call dibs."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I cut him off. "You can't dibs _both_ my moms. That seems very greedy to me."

"Well, fine. I un-dibs Regina." He tried to placate me.

"No. That is not how this works. You can't un-dibs one of my moms so you can have the other one. You have my adoptive mother so Killian gets my birth mother and David can have my_grand_mother. It all works out that way. Get with the program!"

"Oh? And how does David feel about getting your Grandmother? I'm sure he wants to fight Killian for Emma. Why don't we all fight Killian, hmm?" He flashed an angry look at his friend and enemy rubbing his sore chin.

"There will be no fighting, huntsman." David snarled, finally getting a word in edgewise. "Keep in mind that this is my _daughter_ we're talking about."

"Who's your daughter?" Graham asked, clearly confused.

"Emma is my daughter. And her mother, Mary Margaret also known as Snow White is my _wife_. So yes. I get Henry's grandfather, but NEITHER of you get Henry's mother and to be honest huntsman? I would get your heart back before Regina knows you know and get out of that relationship because it can only end in your death." He glared at Killian.

"Hey, I never said I wanted Emma. I don't I just want her to break the curse so I can skin my crocodile. _He_ was a distraction," Killian gestured to Graham. "I was angry that he distracted her, that's all papa bear, calm down." David looked Killian over and he must have decided that he was not an immediate threat because he turned back to Graham.

"Okay, Killian is going to take Henry home, you and I are going to go get your heart, and then tomorrow we will all meet for breakfast at Granny's and discuss further actions, all right?" We nodded and even though I felt a little put out for not being involved, I was too happy that the curse was weakening to mind. But what had Killian said? He wasn't interested in Emma? But they were perfect for each other. I opened my book and flipped to the last page. There it was. True Love's Kiss. The Savior and Captain Hook. Their love would save the world. But only if they got together. And while, yes, breaking the curse was important. Getting Killian and Emma to fall in love might be even more important.


	16. Chapter 16

**Emma Swan**

I walked out of the bathroom at Granny's and ran into him. Graham. He was throwing darts rather impressively but he was also drunk and had that look in his eyes. He wanted to talk. I so did NOT want to talk. Not to him. Not about that.

"Emma!" Ruby piped up. "What can I get for you?" I shook my head, my eyes not leaving Graham's.

"Nothing." I side stepped Graham and made my way out the door. I met Killian's eyes on the way out and he was giving me a look of complete confusion. I was staring at Killian when it happened. A dart hit the wood panel next to my head. I spun around as Killian leapt out of the booth staring daggers at Graham. "What the hell? You could have hit me!"

"I never miss." Graham said, walking slowly towards me. "Have you been avoiding me since you saw me,"

"Leaving the mayor?" I suggested crossing my arms. "And yes that is a euphemism. I'm not avoiding you I just have no interest in having this conversation with you. It's none of my business and I really don't care." I left the dinner and began walking down the street. Graham chased after me and called my name. There was desperation in his eyes and a few weeks ago I would have been completely ecstatic to have Graham chasing after me but today I had been disenchanted with Graham as a whole. And I couldn't help but wonder what Killian thought was going on. He better realize that Graham had nothing on him and make a move already. And Graham had better let him.

**Killian Jones **

What the hell was that? A euphemism, she said. So Emma had caught Graham and Regina together. She seemed frustrated. Did she feel jealous? Did she want him? Would she fight for Graham? Not that I cared. I was after the Savior not the Princess. Watching the way her father watched me when we were together I knew that I didn't have a shot in hell, even if I had wanted one. Which I didn't. Obviously. But I did want her to break the curse and Graham was an obvious distraction. I needed to protect her from the kind of heartbreak that would make her pack up and run for the hills, leaving this town and myself cursed. I practically threw money at Ruby and stormed out of Granny's, following the path Emma and Graham had taken. I came up to them down the street but before I could call out, Graham had reached forward and taken Emma's face in his hands before pulling her face to his and locking lips.

The anger that I had suppressed these past months bubbled up exploded. He just kissed her. He was seeing Regina and he had no business pulling Emma into this nonsense. She had enough to deal with from Regina without this. Not to mention the sight of anyone's lips on hers was excruciatingly painful for me to watch. She pushed him away and my heart soared for half a second. Graham was panting and staring at the pavement.

"Did you see that?" he asked. Okay that is not what I thought was about to happen.

"See what?" Emma spat out. "Graham that was way out of line!" she admonished them.

"The wolf. There was a wolf." He insisted. But Graham had been friends with a wolf, in the other world. Henry thought he was the huntsman and he had owned a wolf. Good Lord, he was remembering. True Love's Kiss. Shit. I looked around. But if that were really true love's kiss the town would be running about with their memories. What was happening? I needed to find my co-conspirators. I needed to call together Operation Cobra.

**David/Charming**

If this one handed idiot thought that he could just wake me up in the middle of the night and not tell me what was going on yet still think I would just follow him to wherever the hell we were going then he had another thing coming. And yet here I was, following him down the street after he simply said 'Emma'. We ended up at Regina's house and I felt a great uneasiness settle in my stomach. The Evil Queen. She may not have magic here but that didn't make her any less conniving or ambitious.

"Killian! What are we doing?"

"I think Graham might know."

"The Huntsman? God I hope so. He is an old friend." I interjected. "How did he remember? Can we use it on the rest of the town?" Killian snorted and shook his head.

"I doubt it and even if we could we're finding another way." He insisted.

"What?" I questioned him. "Why?" He spun on his heel halfway up Regina's front path and stared into my eyes.

"Believe me, once Graham explains fully you will understand why not." It came out almost in a snarl. I didn't question him but I wondered for the hundredth time that week, who was Killian Jones?

**Henry Mills**

Killian and my grandpa were helping me sneak out of my room. This was awesome. If mom found out she was going to freak. Ha. We walked to Graham's apartment and Killian knocked on the door until it swung open. I had my book under my arm, as Killian had told me to bring it for Operation Cobra's first advance since David had woken up.

"Killian, what are you all doing here?" Killian brushed past him and we all filled into his room.

"Hey Graham!" I said cheerfully. "I hear you're remembering things." I grinned and wagged my eyes at him. He looked shocked.

"Yes! Yes, how did you know? Am I going crazy?"

"You're not going crazy and I know exactly who you are." I reassured him.

"But how did you know, it only happened half an hour ago."

"Because I saw you, you prat." Killian said angrily.

"What's a prat?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Something you shouldn't call someone." David said putting a hand on my shoulder.

"You saw that?" Graham asked nervously.

"Yes. I did. And to be honest?" Killian stopped speaking and punched Graham in the face. "Don't distract her from breaking the curse man! I need her to break the curse so I can skin myself a crocodile." Graham look as confused as David and I were.

"What the hell, mate?"

"Just talk to the kid, get this all sorted out, _mate_." Killian hissed. I pulled Graham away and we sat on the couch.

"So what have you been seeing?" I asked, feeling more and more like Archie with every passing word.

"I saw a wolf. A wolf with a red eye. And Mary Margaret. I had a knife, and I was going to kill her. But then I didn't. I told her to run. So I killed a deer and took its heart. I returned to Regina but she had found out what I had done and took my heart. I've been dreaming about a wolf. It's been taking me to the cemetery. To Regina's vault. My heart is in there, that's why I don't feel anything, it's because Regina has my heart locked up."

"You don't feel anything? Really? That's not what it looked like to me earlier." Killian hissed. Graham started to get up looking at Killian angrily but I didn't have much time before my mom noticed I was gone so I pulled him back down.

"When did these flashbacks start?" I asked.

"When I kissed Emma." He said, matter-of-factly. My brow furrowed.

"You kissed my mom?" I said, completely grossed out. At the same time Killian's fist curled into balls and David spoke with the same tone I had.

"You kissed Emma?"

"Oh come on, you can't tell me that you _and_ Killian like her. We can't all go after her and since I made the first move I think I am well within my rights to call dibs."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I cut him off. "You can't dibs _both_ my moms. That seems very greedy to me."

"Well, fine. I un-dibs Regina." He tried to placate me.

"No. That is not how this works. You can't un-dibs one of my moms so you can have the other one. You have my adoptive mother so Killian gets my birth mother and David can have my_grand_mother. It all works out that way. Get with the program!"

"Oh? And how does David feel about getting your Grandmother? I'm sure he wants to fight Killian for Emma. Why don't we all fight Killian, hmm?" He flashed an angry look at his friend and enemy rubbing his sore chin.

"There will be no fighting, huntsman." David snarled, finally getting a word in edgewise. "Keep in mind that this is my _daughter_ we're talking about."

"Who's your daughter?" Graham asked, clearly confused.

"Emma is my daughter. And her mother, Mary Margaret also known as Snow White is my _wife_. So yes. I get Henry's grandfather, but NEITHER of you get Henry's mother and to be honest huntsman? I would get your heart back before Regina knows you know and get out of that relationship because it can only end in your death." He glared at Killian.

"Hey, I never said I wanted Emma. I don't I just want her to break the curse so I can skin my crocodile. _He_ was a distraction," Killian gestured to Graham. "I was angry that he distracted her, that's all papa bear, calm down." David looked Killian over and he must have decided that he was not an immediate threat because he turned back to Graham.

"Okay, Killian is going to take Henry home, you and I are going to go get your heart, and then tomorrow we will all meet for breakfast at Granny's and discuss further actions, all right?" We nodded and even though I felt a little put out for not being involved, I was too happy that the curse was weakening to mind. But what had Killian said? He wasn't interested in Emma? But they were perfect for each other. I opened my book and flipped to the last page. There it was. True Love's Kiss. The Savior and Captain Hook. Their love would save the world. But only if they got together. And while, yes, breaking the curse was important. Getting Killian and Emma to fall in love might be even more important.


	17. Chapter 17

**August Booth**

The fall months passed and soon it was November and I had not a clue as to where to find my Emma. I had failed my father, I had failed my King, my Queen but most of all I had failed my sister. My Emma. I tried to go to the government. Say I was looking for my sister, but as we weren't blood relatives they denied my claims. I tried social media but I did it half-heartedly. Emma didn't have the kind of friends who checked up on her online. There was no way she would have had Facebook, or twitter or any other way of contacting her. I had a month and a half to get her to Storybrooke. There was no way. No. Way.

**Emma Swan**

Henry. That boy reminded me of August in ways that I could never have expected. Of course he was his father's son and I could see Neal in him in every move he made, but I saw August too. That made me inexplicably happy. This boy, who was not related to August by blood, had never met the guy, still somehow acted like him, spoke like him, thought like him. I missed August every day. Every single day that I was here, every day since the one he had been dragged away from me as we kicked and screamed swearing that we would find each other. He had come to visit me at jail. They asked if I wanted an August Booth to be allowed visiting hours but I had said no. I wouldn't let him see me like that. He would have been so ashamed. And if he found out that I had put a kid in the foster system, he would have been furious. I couldn't let him know. But now I found myself wishing that I had. What if he was angry with me for not letting him see me? What if I would never find him again? What if the last time I would see my friend would be a time filled with tears, screams and broken promises?

**Henry Mills**

I walked into Emma's apartment and I knew something was wrong.

"Hey Emma, everything okay? You sounded strange over the walkie."

"No, I'm okay it's just, yesterday when I tried to take you away, you were right." She sighed. "I can't take you out of Storybrooke. But I can't stay either."

"What?" My mom was leaving me. Again.

"I have to go." She whispered. "I spoke to Regina, we made a deal. I can still see you and Henry I swear I will come back but there's someone I need to go find. I promise you Henry. I swear to you that I will come back that I will find you just like it says in your book but this person has been missing for a very long time and I owe it to him to go and find him." I was silent for a moment.

"Is it my father?" I asked. She smiled but there were tears in her eyes.

"No Henry, it's not your father."

"Good, because something good is happening with you and Killian and having my dad around would completely mess things up." She let out a short laugh.

"I suppose so. But I'm not letting him anywhere near you. He hurt me Henry, and I will protect you against him. I need to find an old friend of mine and once I do, I will return and we can see each other all the time. Just like we do now." I looked at her cautiously. "Henry, I promise you." She picked up her bags and kissed me on the cheek as we both walked out of her apartment and she loaded up her yellow bug. She didn't notice me sneaking out the apple turnover my mom had given her and sneak it into my backpack. Poisoned apples were rare in this world, and I might need it later.


	18. Chapter 18

**Neal Cassidy**

Every damn day I thought about her. I had screwed up. I had made the biggest mistake in my life. I had let the love of my life go. More specifically I had snuck out on her and tricked her into thinking that I had never loved her at all. Every day I woke up, packed my bags and went to work. I swore to myself that when I got home I would get in my car and go find her. But every day convinced me further that she must hate me and that seeing me would just hurt her further. I just wanted to get her to her family. That was all I wanted. Okay fine, maybe a small little part of me wanted to run from my papa too, but I really did want to get Emma home to her family. And me, I would just keep her from her destiny. I was the old man in a twenty something body and Emma, Emma was filled with light and love and a youth that I could never exude.

I can still remember the day I found out. We were headed towards Tallahassee. We had sold the watches, save the one on Emma's wrist and we were driving that adorable yellow bug to Florida. We stopped for gas and I paid for lunch with real money. It had brought one of those adorable innocent smiles to Emma's face and then we walked to our car. Along the way she dropped her purse. I tried to catch it before it fell but it never reached my hand. It was sucked back into Emma's and she laughed out loud, her slight drunkenness no noticing what was amiss. She didn't catch it. She had shot a bright green light out of her fingertips and called the bag back into them. She had just done magic. The next morning Emma couldn't remember that ever happening and I started digging into Emma's past. No recorded birth parents, she just showed up on the side of a highway as an infant. There was nothing with her past, no missing child reports. In fact there were no hospital records that matched with Emma's birth from the area she was found. And then there was that story. A boy who had been in the foster care system with her, who had been the boy who found her on that highway, the story he told her every single night. It was true. There was a boy out there who knew the truth and he had told Emma and she hadn't believed him. The curse, Rumpelstiltskin, everything. Emma was the child of Snow White and Prince Charming and my father would be with them when Emma found them. I knew 28 was still 10 years off, but I couldn't be there when it happened and if I stuck around now I would never be able to leave. We got to Tallahassee and I told Emma I had to get some air. I hitched a ride and ended up in Canada. I never checked in on her, it wasn't like there had been a plan of any sort. I had no way of finding her and besides, I left her the bug and all the money, everything. She was smart. She would be just fine.

But now, today. It was all different. I hadn't talked myself out of it. I was going to find my Emma. And I had found the place she would be. Storybrooke, Maine. A town that existed yet didn't, a town filled with mystery and intrigue. I knew how to track magic and after a few weeks hunting I had known where it would be. Emma would be 28 this year. That meant that she would be there. And I would too. Come what may.


	19. Chapter 19

**Neal Cassidy**

Every damn day I thought about her. I had screwed up. I had made the biggest mistake in my life. I had let the love of my life go. More specifically I had snuck out on her and tricked her into thinking that I had never loved her at all. Every day I woke up, packed my bags and went to work. I swore to myself that when I got home I would get in my car and go find her. But every day convinced me further that she must hate me and that seeing me would just hurt her further. I just wanted to get her to her family. That was all I wanted. Okay fine, maybe a small little part of me wanted to run from my papa too, but I really did want to get Emma home to her family. And me, I would just keep her from her destiny. I was the old man in a twenty something body and Emma, Emma was filled with light and love and a youth that I could never exude.

I can still remember the day I found out. We were headed towards Tallahassee. We had sold the watches, save the one on Emma's wrist and we were driving that adorable yellow bug to Florida. We stopped for gas and I paid for lunch with real money. It had brought one of those adorable innocent smiles to Emma's face and then we walked to our car. Along the way she dropped her purse. I tried to catch it before it fell but it never reached my hand. It was sucked back into Emma's and she laughed out loud, her slight drunkenness no noticing what was amiss. She didn't catch it. She had shot a bright green light out of her fingertips and called the bag back into them. She had just done magic. The next morning Emma couldn't remember that ever happening and I started digging into Emma's past. No recorded birth parents, she just showed up on the side of a highway as an infant. There was nothing with her past, no missing child reports. In fact there were no hospital records that matched with Emma's birth from the area she was found. And then there was that story. A boy who had been in the foster care system with her, who had been the boy who found her on that highway, the story he told her every single night. It was true. There was a boy out there who knew the truth and he had told Emma and she hadn't believed him. The curse, Rumpelstiltskin, everything. Emma was the child of Snow White and Prince Charming and my father would be with them when Emma found them. I knew 28 was still 10 years off, but I couldn't be there when it happened and if I stuck around now I would never be able to leave. We got to Tallahassee and I told Emma I had to get some air. I hitched a ride and ended up in Canada. I never checked in on her, it wasn't like there had been a plan of any sort. I had no way of finding her and besides, I left her the bug and all the money, everything. She was smart. She would be just fine.

But now, today. It was all different. I hadn't talked myself out of it. I was going to find my Emma. And I had found the place she would be. Storybrooke, Maine. A town that existed yet didn't, a town filled with mystery and intrigue. I knew how to track magic and after a few weeks hunting I had known where it would be. Emma would be 28 this year. That meant that she would be there. And I would too. Come what may.


	20. Chapter 20

**Killian's POV**

Baelfire. He was here. Looking more and more like Milah every day. And he knew Emma. Like, _knew, _knew Emma. He was Henry's father. And he remembered every damn thing about his past life. Regina practically dragged Henry away but not before I promised that we'd still meet for dinner tonight. Baelfire, or Neal as Emma called him, tried to go after her but Graham convinced him that she might need a bit of space and David promised that she was just headed for her apartment, that they would all see each other again and that his girlfriend Mary Margaret would take care of her. I stepped next to him and muttered under my breath.

"And by Mary Margaret he means Snow White." Gold's eyes flung open. Oh shit. I had forgotten that he didn't know we knew. Baelfire looked at David suddenly.

"So that makes you Emma's father." His voice sounded weak and he held out his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, sir." Graham stepped up and began pulling him away.

"If you're after Emma, get in line. Come on, we need to talk. This changes things." He turned to the crocodile. "If you want to help break the curse by all means, come with us, but if not, don't go to Regina. I can make it worth your while."

"And how do you plan on doing that dearie?" The crocodile hissed. "The only reason I made this curse was so that I could be in the same world as my son, he's here and so I have no need to break it and run out into the rest of this realm looking for him."

"Maybe not," Graham added, unfazed. "But I can tell you that the queen was lying when she told you Belle was dead. I don't know where she is but the sooner we break this curse the sooner your True Love comes searching for you." He and David began walking off as Rumplestiltskin blanched. Without saying a word he turned and followed them.

"Wait, he said to get in line. Do he and Emma have a thing?" he asked.

"Well, he kissed Emma and got his memories back and then we went on a scavenger hunt to get his heart back from Regina but Emma was all pissed because while Regina had his heart she was forcing him to sleep with her and Graham had the good sense to be ashamed about it so he didn't tell her and so they don't actually have a," I paused and repeated his odd words, "_thing_." He kind of nodded so I continued. "But he's going to continue fighting for her so I believe his 'get in line' was to warn you that she seems to like him better than you at the moment because not telling her that he had a friends with benefits relationship with her son's adoptive mother seems to be not as bad as lying to her, leaving her, and getting her pregnant before landing her in jail." I patted his back and began to follow in the direction the other men had gone. After I got a few steps I turned around and taking a deep breath, admitted to him what I had yet to admit to myself. "Oh, and I think I'm in love with her, so you know, lines. They get long when you wait around after throwing someone in jail."

"Wait a minute, did you just say you were in _love_ with her?" He asked angrily as he caught up to me. "That's ridiculous! Did she kiss you and give you your memory back too? What exactly is going on here? You think it's just okay to take other people's women? First you took my mother from my father and now you want to take Emma from me. What's next? Will you wait a few hundred more years and steal _my_ son's wife?"

"In case you've forgotten, you and Emma weren't married. Also you aren't together now, I am pretty sure that means she is fair game. And unlike you I would never dare to say that I possessed a woman. Women are not possessions Baelfire. Perhaps if you knew that you wouldn't have lost her."


	21. Chapter 21

**Neal Cassidy**

Every damn day I thought about her. I had screwed up. I had made the biggest mistake in my life. I had let the love of my life go. More specifically I had snuck out on her and tricked her into thinking that I had never loved her at all. Every day I woke up, packed my bags and went to work. I swore to myself that when I got home I would get in my car and go find her. But every day convinced me further that she must hate me and that seeing me would just hurt her further. I just wanted to get her to her family. That was all I wanted. Okay fine, maybe a small little part of me wanted to run from my papa too, but I really did want to get Emma home to her family. And me, I would just keep her from her destiny. I was the old man in a twenty something body and Emma, Emma was filled with light and love and a youth that I could never exude.

I can still remember the day I found out. We were headed towards Tallahassee. We had sold the watches, save the one on Emma's wrist and we were driving that adorable yellow bug to Florida. We stopped for gas and I paid for lunch with real money. It had brought one of those adorable innocent smiles to Emma's face and then we walked to our car. Along the way she dropped her purse. I tried to catch it before it fell but it never reached my hand. It was sucked back into Emma's and she laughed out loud, her slight drunkenness no noticing what was amiss. She didn't catch it. She had shot a bright green light out of her fingertips and called the bag back into them. She had just done magic. The next morning Emma couldn't remember that ever happening and I started digging into Emma's past. No recorded birth parents, she just showed up on the side of a highway as an infant. There was nothing with her past, no missing child reports. In fact there were no hospital records that matched with Emma's birth from the area she was found. And then there was that story. A boy who had been in the foster care system with her, who had been the boy who found her on that highway, the story he told her every single night. It was true. There was a boy out there who knew the truth and he had told Emma and she hadn't believed him. The curse, Rumpelstiltskin, everything. Emma was the child of Snow White and Prince Charming and my father would be with them when Emma found them. I knew 28 was still 10 years off, but I couldn't be there when it happened and if I stuck around now I would never be able to leave. We got to Tallahassee and I told Emma I had to get some air. I hitched a ride and ended up in Canada. I never checked in on her, it wasn't like there had been a plan of any sort. I had no way of finding her and besides, I left her the bug and all the money, everything. She was smart. She would be just fine.

But now, today. It was all different. I hadn't talked myself out of it. I was going to find my Emma. And I had found the place she would be. Storybrooke, Maine. A town that existed yet didn't, a town filled with mystery and intrigue. I knew how to track magic and after a few weeks hunting I had known where it would be. Emma would be 28 this year. That meant that she would be there. And I would too. Come what may.


	22. Chapter 22

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so sorry it's been forever since I updated and I'm sorry about the lower writing standard in these final two chapters. I really wanted to finish up for you all and I really appreciate you reading this at all. I know how frustrating it can be when a story just stops before it's done and you don't know how it ends. I hope you all approve and I hope it all makes sense. It is about 1 AM and I'm just spitting the story out so if you need any clarification just let me know. Thanks to all and I hope you've enjoyed this story and all my other fics! Hugs and Kisses, Elsa. **

**Neal's POV**

"So you're my dad." Henry said calmly as every adult in the vicinity practically held their breath. Myself included. I knew Emma would be here, breaking the curse. I knew that I would have to face my father but I didn't know that I would have to face my son. A son that I never knew I had.

"Yup. Looks like it." I added weakly. I could see Killian rolling his eyes in the background and I tensed. Of course _he_ would be here. The idiot who stole my mother and ripped my family apart. And he was after _her_. Emma. My Emma. The girl who I had been in love with forever. The girl who finally made me forget about that other world, about my past, the girl who finally made _this_ world feel like home. Of course after I found out who she was I realized that last feeling she gave me probably had more to do with the fact that she was from the Enchanted Forest too.

"What do you do for a living?" He asked. Regina, Henry's adopted mother narrowed her eyes curiously and my father didn't stop staring at me. Emma's eyes widened and she shook her head violently. Did she really think that I still made my living as a thief?

"I work at a restaurant as a chef."

"Really? That's so cool! What kind of restaurant?"

"An Italian place in New York." I hazarded a glance at Emma and was pleased to find her looking impressed. "I'm sorry I haven't been around."

"It's okay." He said perfectly composed. "You didn't know." The rest of the meal passed quickly as my son and I got to know each other. It was perfectly awkward with his adoptive mother, Emma, Killian, my father and Emma's parents watching. Things got kicked up to a new level of tense when the sheriff showed up. The guy who was in love with Emma. Or one of the guys, apparently. For a girl who claimed to never have known love she certainly had a large following of men ready to throw themselves at her at a moment's notice.

"Emma," The sheriff said quietly. Most of the table took no notice, continued to eat and converse. But Killian and I stiffened and looked up, listening intently. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Whatever you are going to say to her you can say in front of all of us, can't you?" I practically hissed at him. Killian made no sounds but I could tell he agreed by the way his veins were popping in his neck.

"Believe it or not Baelfire I didn't actually mean 'in private'. I am perfectly content having this conversation right here but I thought Emma might be more comfortable away from all of you when she hears what I have to say." I opened my mouth to speak but before I could Emma stood up and rolled her eyes as she walked a few feet away from the group. Killian's elbow nudged me sharply and I cringed automatically.

"What the hell was that, mate?" he hissed under his breath. "Are you trying to get her to pick him?"

"Look Emma, I would prefer I question him more thoroughly myself before you see him but I admitted you were here and I had to lock him up to keep him from running around the town and hunting you down. He might be calmer if you are there."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Henry asked startling everyone.

"Henry! Language!" The women around the table all shouted simultaneously.

"Sorry! But it sounds like Graham's about to take Emma to see a crazy person and I'd rather not lose one of my many parents." Before anyone could reply a voice cut in, piercing through the background noise and uttering a name.

"Emma."

**Hook's POV**

"Emma." We all looked up at the source of the voice. A scruffy looking, dark haired man in a leather jacket and jeans was standing in the doorway of Granny's, a pair of handcuffs hanging from one wrist, one cuff unlocked uselessly. Emma's face dropped, expressionless. Another one? Really? There was another one. And this unshaven, dark mysterious stranger in leather? That was _my_ look. He can't have Emma _and_ use my look to get her. Not okay. Emma finally exhaled, more air than I could imagine her holding in escaped her. My stomach plunged in anguish as a real honest to God smile graced her face. I was so torn. My Swan, my Emma. She was happy. She was smiling. She looked happier than I'd ever seen her. And she was looking at him. Nowhere near me. She was looking at him.

"August." She breathed out. And before I could stand Emma was sprinting across the diner into 'August's' arms. He picked her up and spun her around holding her close. His eyes were closed and a tear dripped down his cheek. When she faced us I saw that Emma was crying too. Hard. Her smile told me they were happy tears and once again my heart broke.

"Emma, please, please forgive me. I tried so hard to leave, to find you."

"August, it's not your fault, I swear. I ran off before you could come back to get me. Besides if I had tried harder maybe your family would have liked me enough to adopt me too. It's not your fault I am intolerable, annoying, a complete menace and unlovable." The words came out of her perfect lips but I couldn't make sense of a single one.

"Don't be ridiculous! Annoying and a complete menace sure but you are definitely tolerable and I don't know about anyone else but _I_ love you." He winked at her and she giggled, the happy sound tearing me apart even more. I couldn't watch this. I had to leave. If I stayed I would try to fight for her and she deserved better. She deserved to be happy. This man made her happier than I ever could and I had to bow out gracefully. I turned and snuck out the back door.

Who knew? Sure Emma set things in motion, made Henry see that love didn't come in the simplistic forms it appeared to have in the book, but once that was over, Henry could see that Regina did love him, just not in the way he had pictured. One quick kiss from Regina broke the curse and the whole town remembered everything. I realized about 15 minutes into the new Storybrooke that I hadn't tried to kill Rumpelstitlskin once and that he had done the same. I had walked up to the man and looked at him oddly. He mumbled something about showing his son he wasn't the monster he remembered and I nodded. Oddly enough, I understood. I wanted to prove to Emma that I was good enough for her and murder wasn't the place to start on that quest.

I wanted to show her I was good enough for her. What a joke. I wasn't good enough for her and even if I convinced her I was good enough she didn't feel that way about me. Henry's father, the hero-type sheriff and now the stranger who made her smile like he was her son and she his moon, they were all better men than I and higher on her list obviously. What was the point of trying when it would just hurt her and complicate her life? There wasn't.

**Emma's POV**

"Don't be ridiculous! Annoying and a complete menace sure but you are definitely tolerable and I don't know about anyone else but _I_ love you." August said with a wink. "I see you broke the curse all on your own you clever, clever girl." I smiled.

"Actually, that honor rests with Regina." I nodded towards the 'queen'. Wow. I would never get used to that.

"Truly?" he smiled. "Well I suppose anything is possible when you're gone for 28 years, huh?" he let me go but grabbed my hand the moment I was out of his grasp. "Well sister dearest, introduce me won't you?" I leaned into his shoulder as though we were teenagers again and no time had passed.

"August, this is David and Mary Margaret,"

"Prince Charming and Snow White, sure," he nodded, keeping up better than I was.

"You've clearly heard of Regina,"

"Your Majesty," he bowed cheerfully,

"My son Henry,"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"His father Neal, or I guess his name is Baelfire,"

"The Dark One's son?" August asked angrily. "Are you kidding me? I leave you for a few years and you not only decide I was lying about our roots but you also go straight for the Dark One's son and have a _kid_?" he sighed. "Emma, I had the talk with you! It was highly uncomfortable so I know you remember!"

"Shut up August." I rolled my eyes. "You met our sheriff Graham and this is," I broke off as I gestured to Killian's empty chair. I glanced up at my family. "Where did Killian go?"

"Ran off as soon as this guy said he loved you." Henry volunteered. "Mom, he loves you. I know you love him back. Just go after him!"

"You fell in love _again_?" August asked. "Wow Swan, for someone who claims to be unlovable you sure get around." I barely heard him. Killian loved me. He loved me. I had to go to him. I hugged Henry tight.

"Introduce yourself August. I'll be back later. Don't you dare run off on me again big brother." He gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Go get him sweetheart."

I ran out the door and towards the docks. Killian was always hanging out by the docks. Sure enough when I got there, a silhouette of a man stood at the end of the dock. I walked behind him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't jump." I joked. He looked up startled.

"I realize you ran out of there before I could introduce my friend. That was August. He came through the portal with me and raised me. He's the best big brother a girl could ask for." Killian's brow was furrowed, not understanding a word I said.

"Big brother?"

"Yeah. Brother."

"So you don't love him?"

"Sure I love him. Like a brother." Slowly Killian nodded I could tell he needed further prompting to get to the conclusion I had reached. "He _is_ one of the few men I trust. Graham ruined that when he lied to me and Neal killed it a long time ago." Killian looked at me, a deranged look of hope ruminating in his eyes.

"And me? Do you trust me?" He was practically whispering. I nodded and smiled at him, suddenly shy.

"But you, it's different with you. I trust you, Henry likes you and somehow you make all this crazy mess make a lot more sense than it normally would." His eyes still read a bit doubtful. "Oh, and this one other thing." I whispered as I moved closer to him, my lips inches from his. He started to move in for the kiss but stopped, an inch away from me.

"And what's that?" he whispered back.

"I'm completely, entirely and hopelessly in love with you."


	23. Shameless Plug

Hello lovelies! I hope you are finding some amazing fanfics out there! In case you were looking for another OUAT fic-I am working on a new one that I really love writing (And I hope you will enjoy reading!) Check out "Lost Girl"! Pretty please! (You know you want to!)

~E


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